Dog worming
Protecting your dog against worms is as much a part of pet care as good diet, and the right sort of exercise. Worms are important because they affect the condition of your pet and they can be unhealthy for you and your family. Two types of worms affect dogs: Roundworms and Tapeworms. Both are intestinal parasites which can be found in any dog although infection is easily treated.
Roundworms
There are several kinds of roundworms including hookworms, whipworms and lungworms. But the most important and most common is called Toxocara. Virtually all puppies are born infected with Toxocara canis. They can also become infected from their mothers' milk or the environment. In puppies roundworm infestation can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties, anaemia, a pot-bellied appearance and a failure to thrive. In most adult dogs the number of worms is few and as a result there are few clinical symptoms. Humans infected with roundworms, usually from ingesting contaminated soil (eggs take two weeks to become infective after being voided in the dogs' faeces), can show respiratory, abdominal and eye problems, very rarely leading to blindness.
Treatment Regime
The treatment regime for each animal varies as it is very much dependent on their lifestyle, it is therefore advisable to discuss this with a vet or vet nurse at the practice
Tapeworms
Heavy infestations can cause anal irritation, digestive disturbances and ill thrift, they are aesthetically unpleasant as the segments, which resemble cucumber seeds or rice grains leave via the anus to deposit their eggs. The most common tapeworm in dogs is Dipylidium caninum which is contracted when the dog eats an infected flea. For obvious reasons tapeworm therapy should be accompanied by vigorous steps to control any associated flea problems.
Humans can be infected by ingesting the eggs of a particular type of tapeworm Taenia hydatigena to produce Hydatid disease. This disease is largely confined to those areas where there is frequent contact between dogs and extensively grazed sheep, or where dogs are fed on uncooked horse flesh, e.g. Hunt kennels.
Treatment Regime
The treatment regime for each animal varies as it is very much dependent on their lifestyle, it is therefore advisable to discuss this with a vet or vet nurse at the practice.